El Greco and Modernism - Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf

'El Greco and Modernism' is the first major exhibition in Germany focusing on El Greco’s paintings and pictorial world, illustrating how the old master inspired and fascinated many artists of the early modernist period.

April 28 - August 12, 2012

Source: Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf

This exhibition unites over 100 works – paintings, sculptures, drawings – by around 38 artists from the early modernist period and over 40 important works by El Greco, with a focus on portraits, landscapes and works on religious themes.

Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos in Crete, 1541, El Greco moved to Italy, and later Madrid and finally Toledo in Spain, where he remained until his death in 1614. His paintings had a profound impact on the work of many modern artists including Cézanne, van Gogh, Picasso and Delaunay.

A major highlight includes "The Immaculate Conception", loaned by the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. 'El Greco and Modernism' also includes key masterpieces such as El Greco’s only surviving panel picture, "Laocoön", loaned by the National Gallery of Art, Washington. In this striking and influential work El Greco explores Greek mythology. Also on show is "The Opening of the Fifth Seal" loaned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Visitors have the rare opportunity to view Laocoön together with Ludwig Meidner’s "Three Wailing Figures in the Apocalyptic Landscape" as part of his "Apocalyptic Landscapes" as well the "The Descent from the Cross" by Max Beckmann, from MoMA, New York, and El Greco’s "El Expolio" from the Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

The 2012 exhibition at Museum Kunstpalast paves the way towards a major exhibition in Madrid and Toledo scheduled to take place in 2014, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of El Greco’s death.